Chapter 7
The moment Mr. Darcy closed the door, Elizabeth immediately questioned her father and uncle. The gentlemen indicated the ladies should follow them to the seclusion of the library; inside, Mr. Bennet refilled his glass of wine and sat heavily in an armchair.
Mr. Gardiner took the lead in the conversation.
“It seems that Mr. Wickham has come to his senses and they will marry in three days. Mr. Darcy generously took upon himself the unpleasant task of negotiating with the man. Wickham only demanded the part of her inheritance that rightfully belongs to Lydia —to which your father readily agreed. Fortunately, Mr. Wickham was unexpectedly offered a commission in a new regiment in Newcastle. They will leave the second day following the wedding. Mr. Darcy was also kind enough to procure a special license for them, so everything is done.”
“Truly? So everything is settled? So easily? But how is that possible? And what about his debts?” Elizabeth inquired in disbelief, staring at her father and uncle. Both gentlemen avoided her gaze, turning their attention to their glasses.
Mr. Gardiner continued. “It seems the debts are not as large as we feared. Everything has been resolved.”
“Indeed,” Mr. Bennet repeated in a low voice.
“Everything has been resolved, with less trouble on our part than we imagined. Now, Lizzy, enough of talking. Please write to Jane to calm the cries at Longbourn. Then take Lydia and purchase one new dress and one nightgown for her, and I want to hear nothing more of this. We will leave for Longbourn immediately after the wedding. I would leave sooner, but I cannot trust Wickham to wed until I see it with my own eyes. Now excuse me, I intend to rest for the remainder of the day.”
“And I must attend to duties I have neglected recently. I expect to return home no sooner than dinner,” Mr. Gardiner said, kissing his wife’s hand.
The two ladies were astonished by the gentlemen’s obvious reluctance to volunteer any details, but neither dared insist further. Elizabeth, however, hurried to her father’s side and held his arm as she walked with him to his chamber.
“Papa, are you well? May I help you with anything?”
“Only with what I asked you, my child.”
“Very well…and…please forgive my indiscretion but…how was your conversation with Mr. Darcy? I understand that he helped procure the special license. And Mr. Wickham’s unexpected commission —surely, it came precisely when it was needed.
Was Mr. Darcy involved in that too? Does he expect any compensation for his assistance? ”
It felt uncomfortable to bother him further, but she was troubled by the recollection of the heated argument she heard in the library and the fears and speculations they roused in her mind.
Mr. Bennet stopped and turned to her. “Lizzy dearest, the kindness and generosity showed by Mr. Darcy towards our family are so extraordinary that we will never be able to repay him. And he did not allow us even to express our gratitude. So all we can do is keep him in our hearts and prayers; we will likely never see him again.”
Mr. Bennet entered his room and shut the door decidedly while his words stirred a turmoil that left Elizabeth trembling. She stepped hesitantly down the hall as countless new questions spun in her head and made her dizzy.
The following evening, due to Lydia’s insistence and against the opposition of everyone else, Mrs. Gardiner invited Wickham to dinner.
Since the wedding was scheduled in two days, it was likely that no other opportunity would arise.
The little chance of happiness Lydia could expect depended mostly on the proper, supportive relationship she —and her future husband —would have with her family.
Mr. Bennet had spent most of his time in solitude —either in his chamber or in the library, eager to leave Town as soon as possible. The idea of a dinner with the man who had started all the mess raised a strong —although brief —resistance from him just before the meal.
Elizabeth diligently carried out her role as an elder sister, keeping Lydia company both at home and on their visits to various dressmakers. She attempted to make Lydia see the danger of an uncertain future and to diminish her loud and reckless enthusiasm.
By the time dinner began, Elizabeth’s patience had faded, and the appearance of the soon-to-be groom —with a broad, easy smile on his face —ruined her mood completely. She struggled to keep her composure and calm her father’s vexation while barely touching her food.
Lydia and Wickham, however, indulged their appetites, praised every course, and expressed their excitement for the wedding and the journey north.
“Oh, I cannot wait to visit Mama on our way to Newcastle. I am sure all my sisters will envy me —I know you do too, Lizzy. What a joke that I am the youngest and yet the first one married.”
Mr. Bennet did not respond, exchanging an angry glare with Elizabeth. “You have little time for visits since you start your new commission within a fortnight,” Mr. Gardiner said.
“True. I look forward to beginning a new life, which I have every reason to hope will be very successful,” Wickham replied confidently.
Mr. Bennet rolled his eyes. “I am sure you have. And why would you not, considering all the success you have achieved thus far.”
Mrs. Gardiner intervened to avoid conflict. “It is good for a new family to have the chance of a new beginning and to build a future together. I am sure you will both take this opportunity very seriously.”
“As I said —just as they both did before,” Mr. Bennet concluded sarcastically.
The evening passed awkwardly. To Elizabeth’s disbelief, Wickham showed no apparent sign of remorse, nor did he attempt a single word of apology.
After dinner, Mr. Bennet retired unceremoniously to the library while Mr. Wickham declared he would remain with the ladies —to his intended’s loudly expressed joy.
Mr. Gardiner moved between the library and the drawing room, sharing his company.
Elizabeth took her cup of tea to the settee, unwilling to participate in the conversation. A few minutes later —to her complete amazement —Wickham brought his glass of wine and took a seat next to her.
“Miss Bennet…I am glad that we have a moment to talk. I have been looking forward to it the entire evening. You are well, I hope?”
“I am, sir —as well as can be expected. As for ‘talk,’ considering the distress we must endure, I wonder that we can carry on a decent conversation at all,” she replied coldly, hoping to put an end to the discussion.
However, he continued. “I understand that the present situation was a surprising development for your entire family. I also imagine that your personal feelings might be uneasy…and I confess I feel somehow guilty; I am tempted to blame myself for it.”
She narrowed her eyes, breathing deeply to keep her composure.
“Mr. Wickham, you may allow yourself to feel entirely guilty. Who else is to blame? Certainly not a young, silly girl of fifteen who fantasised about being in love with a gentleman more than ten years her senior! Surely, we had higher expectations of decorum from a gentleman and an officer in his late twenties than in a girl who is barely more than a child,” she responded, struggling to keep her voice low.
She observed her uncle and aunt glancing at them while Lydia continued to rave about balls and the officers in the new regiment.
“Your point might be valid if presented in that way,” Wickham answered, his surprise apparent. “I understand your vexation —”
“As for my personal feelings, they are just as they should be on discovering that someone, whom we believed to be a friend, has betrayed our confidence and contrived a plan that might ruin our family forever! I, too, cannot but feel guilty for the premature trust and hasty good opinion I bestowed upon you most unwisely.”
He turned pale for a moment, but a smirk quickly returned to his face. “I see…it pains me that your opinion has changed so severely. I understand it is hard to believe, but even the best of men may fall sometimes for the sake of their hearts. This is a fault that I am ready to accept.”
“Mr. Wickham, please do not take me for a fool once again. Had I the smallest suspicion that you bear any affection for my poor sister, I would be more than willing to welcome you to our family. But we both know that you left your regiment for dishonourable reasons, and you took with you the first silly girl who agreed to be your victim. You only consented to marry her because your pecuniary demands were satisfied.”
Wickham coloured slightly and emptied his glass in a single gulp.
“Well, I…things are not always as they seem, but you seem determined
to think ill of me. I sense it might be the influence of someone whose main concern has always been to harm me.
I never imagined that Darcy was a friend of yours or that he might become involved in a matter that only concerns your family.
It looks like there have been many surprising developments lately… ”
Elizabeth’s anger united with her embarrassment.
“Mr Darcy in no way is a friend of ours —quite the contrary! He became involved in this matter because I sought out and begged for his help in tracing you and finding my sister. He was as reluctant and displeased to offer his assistance as I was appalled and ashamed to apply to him. Thank God, his help was useful after all. We are grateful to him, and my family will be diligent in showing him deserved gratitude.”
This time, her words had the desired effect. Wickham was left speechless, and he rose to leave; suddenly, he changed his mind and sat again, replying through gritted teeth.
“If I had known that your family was willing to support my situation, I would have behaved differently, but I was left with few choices. And if I had been given what was rightfully mine from my godfather—”
Elizabeth had had enough.